Thread: My brother has requested some sharpening/honing supplies for his straight razor for C

My brother has requested some sharpening/honing supplies for his straight razor for Christmas. My husband thinks we should get Japanese whetstones, the one he found is described as:

Rough whetstone:
Dark color side(Rough Grain Whetstone#400):
For removing large chips or dents,heavy rust and imperfections,creating a razor sharp edge;

Bright color side( Medium Grain Whetstone#1000):
For most typical, everyday little damage, making the blade more sharp and good shape;

Fine whetstone: White Fine Grain Whetstone #3000:
Both sides for fine tuning and a super-sharp and shining finish

But when I look online it sounds like we really need a 4000/8000 Grain, but can I get the above ones? or will they damage the blade?

400 grit would only be useful for removing large chips. I would pass on that one.

1000 is a bevel setter, 3000 is too close to the 4k on a 4k/8k combo, so it wouldn't serve much purpose.

At this point I only have a norton 4/8k combo, and I'm keeping my razors very sharp with it.... I've now ordered a number of vintage razors off eBay and honed them with the norton and am now shaving with them everyday.... It really is a good first choice.... The 4k side is enought to set a bevel, and the 8k side smooths everything out.... The other nice thing about the 4k is that it takes a little longer to set a bevel, so when you're new to honing, if you do make a mistake, it's not a big mistake. I don't think I'd want to shave with a razor coming off a 3000 grit stone.... You'll want a higher grit than that

I went with the super stones. I bought 400, 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k & 12k. You don't need all those but I'm doing restoration and honing work. To me the 400 & 1k was still cheaper than the 1K chosera. 400 is very aggressive so just watch the pressure you apply to it. IMO I did not want to use my DMT lapping stone for anything but lapping so the 400 fits the bill.

If you have a Norton 4k/8k just get a 1k chosera or super stone you can't go wrong.

I'd pass on the ones you're currently looking at. Go with a Norton 4k/8k . It's one of the most consistent and versatile wet stones. I can produce a shave ready edge no sweat.

I don't know how many razors he has and his plans for future, that makes the difference.
If he only has a couple razors and wants to keep them sharp on himself I suggest that you buy him a super-classic and versatile Yellow Belgian stone, that is a coticule. You can find it on several on-line shops. It's the best single maintenance stone for both beginners and experienced users. It's effective, safe and easy to use.
It's very delicate for touching up and monthly maintenance, it can be a powerful workhorse for razors in need of some heavier interventions.
Moreover the coticule will be an effective finisher to be used after Norton 4/8k to smooth and refine the edge when he'll go for more intensive sharpening work

how long has your brother been shaving for?

we do not really recommend beginners to start practising honing on their new expensive razors and if your brother couldn't tell you what hones to get, to me it sounds like he is not ready to hone just yet.

if you are going to buy him something anyway, i would choose the naniwa 12k.

I suggest the Norton 4k/8k It is among the easiest to learn to use and he will find a lot of info about it here on this site.

I agree a Norton 4/8 is a great first hone. A 1k stone is recommended if you want to dabble with some ebay or antique shop razors. Just make sure you lap them when you get them and periodically after also.

It sounds from the descriptions you've provided that that the stones your looking at might be from an auction site. Most of these are cheaper stones and not really suited for razors(learnt the hard way). Look at the site vendors or reputable sites and you will see that the Naniwa, Norton and Shapton stones are common and this is because the work and work well. A razor needs a smooth and sharp edge and not all stones achieve this. As said a basic set is 1, 4 and 8k stones and these will serve well for a long time. Good luck in your hunt and purchases. Ed